Lamb to the Slaughter

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Lamb to the Slaughter - Title Explained

A) Lamb to the Slaughter (proverb): To undergo something without a fight

B) How does the title apply to the story?

1)  Literal meaning: 

2) Figurative meaning:

C) Who is initially the "lamb"?

D) Who is eventually the "lamb" (= weak one) ? 

 Lamb to the Slaughter - Title 

Lamb to the Slaughter (proverb): To undergo something without a fight

How does the title apply to the story?

1)  Literal meaning: 

Mrs. Maloney "slaughters" (murders) her husband with a leg of lamb (bevroren lamsbout)

2) Figurative meaning:

Mrs. Maloney - a lamb ("zwak"/afhankelijk/meegaand) kills and is the opposite of someone undergoing something without a fight. Her husband wants to divorce her, and she does not simply accept this (undergo this without a fight), but kills him instead

Who is initially the "lamb"?

Who is eventually the "lamb"?

Questions - answer in pairs

Answer questions 1-13 on pages 25 and 26 in pairs

Theme

• The central idea about life / Universal truth 

(e.g. love/oppression/sacrifice/marriage/betrayal)

Q. What is the theme in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

Theme

The central idea about life high-lighted in the story:

1. Revenge
2. Deception/Betrayal

Three different crime novels:

• Crime novel of deduction
  
• Hardboiled crime novel
  
• Realistic crime novel
  

Crime novel of deduction

The detectives solves a mystery or puzzle by logical reasoning on the basis of a few facts and clues

Hardboiled crime novel

The crime was solved by hard work and by detectives who were honest but as violent as the gangster they were fighting against

Realistic crime novel

Concentrates on the psychology of criminals and detectives, on the society in which they live and their environment

Op welke manier neemt Mary de leiding met de lamsbout t.o.v. haar echtgenoot?

Op welke manier neemt Mary de leiding met de lamsbout t.o.v. Jack Noonan?

Citeer de regel waaruit je kunt opmaken dat Mary Maloney concludeert dat ze haar zaakjes goed op orde heeft.

Welke rol speelt het moordwapen in het niet op kunnen lossen van de moord?

Verklaar de titel van het verhaal.

Bij welke categorie crime story hoort het verhaal?

1. Crime novel of deduction
2. Hardboiled crime novel
3. Realistic crime novel